Valentine's Day

Our Ultra Mega Super Colossal Valentine’s Day Roundup, Pt. 2

Here’s part 2 of our roundup of press releases announcing V-Day specials, of which we got, let’s count them real quick… a zillion bazillion. Of all of them, we liked the attitude displayed by Element Collective best: His & Her Cocktails at Nellcôte and RM Champagne Salon, described as “something sweet for her and something stiff for him”… while at Old Town Social, they’ll be having Singles “Bitter” Cocktail Specials, including Malort shots for $5. They’ll also be having a Singles Party just for you, while other people are enjoying RM’s $95 “Champagne Is Made For Two” 8 course prix fixe menu. Now here come some more specials.

• Also in an alternately sweet and bitter mood: The Barrelhouse Flat, with appropriately flavored cocktails, Barry White and roses for the sweethearts, bitter and boozy cocktails and sinful bites for the bitter.

• What could be more romantic than slurping noodles? That’s Slurping Turtle’s argument and they’re stickin’ to it, with a 5-course dinner for $50 per person, and 8-course one for $85 per person, and a Valentine’s Day Pajama Party Brunch on Sunday; show up in your PJs and you’ll get complimentary mini-puffs dipped in chocolate and gift certificates for future visits.

• Little Market Brasserie offers a special prix fixe menu served family style for $49 per guest, along with a special shot by the Tippling Brothers… “Love Potion #2.”

• Also pursuing an aphrodisiacal theme is Sepia, with a $90 menu plus $65 wine pairings built on lush and indulgent ingredients. Call 312-441-1920.

• And so is The Gage, with a la carte items like oyster shooters and seared foie gras, plus hand-selected wines by sommelier Jason Wagner; while sibling Henri has a more refined five course tasting menu by chef Christopher Gawronski, $120 per person plus wine for $70.

• And every day is aphrodisiacal, or at least shellfishy at Shaw’s, including a half dozen Island Creek Oysters and two glasses of Piper-Heidsieck Brut Champagne for $25 (normally valued at $44).

• What’s more romantic than a really high view? Everest will be featuring Chef Joho’s Tasting Menu for $165 and the Vegetarian Tasting Menu for $120 per person. Call 312-663-8920.

• What’s more romantic than chocolate? Sola has a three-course chocolate-accented menu for just $30, plus wine pairings for $15; best of all, if you miss it on Valentine’s Day it’s running Mondays through Wednesdays all month.

• Scofflaw scoffs at calorie counters this V-Day, by “creating the most decadent sundae ever to be served in a gin-focused Chicago cocktail bar… a big bowl piled high with vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream; Luxardo hot fudge; smoked caramel; pineapple-strawberry sauce; amaretto whipped cream; almond brittle; and Luxardo cherries—all made in house. Scofflaw will be getting extra romantic by serving this Sweetheart Sundae with a bottle of cava, all for $50.”

• Hey, remember when somebody or other did a whole menu off recipes from Escoffier? Well, Bistronomic is going to do the same for Valentine’s, at a lower price if not that many fewer dishes, with a $55 three-course menu made up of no fewer than eleven Escoffier dishes to choose among. Call 312-944-8400 for reservations.

• BOKA will have a decadent five-course menu including a hamachi starter, a Hawaiian escolar salad, capon consomme, roasted lamb loin and carmelia chocolate mousse. It’s $85; call 312-337-6070.

• Crispy red snapper for two is the centerpiece of The Florentine’s a la carte menu for V-Day, which also includes squid ink cannelloni, Kumamoto oysters with anisette cream, and a bone-in filet.

• MK offers what they call “a Tasting Lover’s Menu (or, a Lovers Tasting Menu, based on how you look at it),” including prawns, Kobe beef, and a dessert that had to be called “chocolate passion.” It’s $79 per person, with wine pairings for another $40.

• David Burke’s Primehouse has a four course prix fixe feast at $82 per person; we have a feeling beef may be involved, such as the “South-Side” Bone-in Filet Mignon or 55 Dry Aged Bone-in Ribeye.

• Vie has a five-course meal including rabbit and prune ragu, halibut en papillote and wood-grilled tenderloin, for $110, plus $50 wine pairings; call 708-246-2082.

• Floriole has a $100 per person dinner that includes wine pairings. We’re guessing dessert will be really good, too. Call 773-883-1313.

• Ceres’ Table has a three-course chef’s menu at $50, including the salmon everyone loves these days, Skuna Bay Salmon; call 773-878-4882.

• Hearty will do up a Cajun Valentine’s Day, with dishes like crawfish mirliton bisque and crabmeat cobbler. It’s $65 per person.

• Fork in Lincoln Square has two menus designed for sharing at a cost of $59 per person. What’s the difference? One’s vegetarian.

• Due Lire wants you to remember who’s the reason for the season with their San Valentino tasting menu, three old school Italian courses for $50. Call 773-275-7878.

• Frog N Snail has what they’re calling a Valentine’s Day three way— you get three options for each of three courses, plus a cocktail for $50 per person.

• Grass Fed will have a Valentine’s menu Thursday through Saturday, including choice of entrees like bone-in ribeye and grass fed sirloin. It’s $45 per person.

• Socca tops off its new winter menu with a couple of V Day specials, including champagne specials by the glass and a special dessert for two— the decadent Triple Chocolate Sundae for $12.

• Quay Restaurant & Bar has a decadent three-course menu including dishes like butter poached lobster and braised veal cheeks for just $45.

• Balsan, is celebrating Valentine’s Day all weekend long: slurp oysters 4 ways, pull a “Lady & the Tramp” with the “Mushroom Bolognese Tagliatelle” and indulge in “Dark Chocolate Terrine.”

• Looking for something totally different? Pasteur has an upscale Vietnamese prix fixe menu, including wine, for $75; there’s also a vegetarian option.

• Looking for something else different? $75 per couple gets you Latin-flavored dinner for two at Zocalo.

• And finally, if you totally blew it on 2/14, Allium will help you redeem yourself on Friday or Saturday with their “Valentine’s Day Dom Over”— for a mere $500 per couple, you get a four course dinner, a bottle of Dom Perignon plus flutes, and a gift certificate for a 55-minute massage at the Four Seasons. Otherwise, the dinner, minus the apologies, is $95 per person or $130 with a glass of Dom Perignon.

Our Ultra Mega Super Colossal Valentine’s Day Roundup, Pt. 2